Four Sword
This article is about the item. For the game, see ''The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords.'' The is a recurring sword in the ''Legend of Zelda'' series. The Four Sword has the power to create three identical copies of its wielder's soul, resulting in three identical copies of the wielder, who happens to be Link. In The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, the only difference between these replicas is the color of their clothing. In The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, their voices also have different pitches. In The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, the replicas appear to be nonliving, pale, translucent representations of Link. Design The Four Sword is a double-edged spear-point blade with a small fuller near the hilt. The hilt is gold and engraved with what appears to be the symbol of an eye (likely representing Vaati). On the pommel (or counterweight at the top of the handle) is a round jewel. When not in use the jewel is a dull green color. Once the blade has been drawn, however, the jewel changes to match the color of the clone using it. For example, the Red Link's Four Sword has a red jewel on it, while Green Link has a green jewel on the sword. In The Minish Cap, the sword looks quite different while it is the Picori Blade. As stated below, the Picori Blade resembles the Master Sword more than anything, but it is later shattered by Vaati. When reforged as the White Sword, it takes on the same shape as the Four Sword, but with a green colored hilt. When infused with each of the Four Elements it changes its color according to the order of the elements retrieved: first to purple and then quickly to red on the first visit, then blue upon the next visit with a new element, and finally to the gold seen in games set later in the Four Swords timeline. Interestingly, the only element that does not have a corresponding colour to go with it is the Wind Element, which skips the second to last stage of the Four Sword, moving on to the fifth and final stage, the Completed Four Sword. Abilities Once drawn from its pedestal, the Four Sword splits the user's body and soul into four separate copies, one of which is the original. These three replicas are almost completely identical to the original. The only two differences that can be told is the clothing of the four are all different colors (although the design is the same), and the varying deepness that can be made out from their voices. The four can choose to separate from each other and work on their own, or they can stick together in different formations. In Four Swords Adventures, Formations are a standard combat system, consisting of gathering the Four Link clones into one single area to combine their strengths. When in formation, the four generally stay close to one another and attack in unison. There are four different formations. The first is the box where the four are arranged side to side, back to back. Closely related are the long and wide formations, where everyone is located side to side in a single line. The diamond formation is done when all four are lined up back to back facing away from each other, and is useful for when surrounded. Finally there is the standard formation, where one is in the front attacking, while the others merely follow in his footsteps. In The Minish Cap, the Four Sword has a similar use. When charged, Link can walk over special tiles to create the four copies of himself. However, the three copies only last a short while before disappearing, and have no different colored clothing. Why the sword acts so differently between games has yet to fully be explained, although the changes may simply be due to gameplay constraints. When charged at it's fully unlocked strength, the sword can let out a beam that can lift curses, such as the one that turns Princess Zelda to stone. It can also seal evil inside itself, though this seal will seemingly weaken as time passes. In every installment that it appears in, the sword can fire Sword Beams when Link is in full health. However, this can only be done in Four Swords Adventures after the power to repel evil has been restored by the Force Gems. Only when the power to repel evil has returned can the Four Sword be used to break Vaati Barriers. One of the most surprising abilities of the Four Sword is the ability to take Link back in time to the beginning of a level if he does not have enough Force Gems at the end. In Four Swords, the Four Sword cannot fire beams until Link has obtained the Master Sword in the A Link to the Past/Four Swords Game Boy Advance Port. Appearances The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Having survived a previous defeat, Vaati descended upon Hyrule in his one-eyed Wind Mage form before the events of Four Swords. He raided numerous villages throughout the country and took to kidnapping any maidens he fancied. Vaati then took the captured maidens to his palace. A number of heroes set out to defeat Vaati and save the girls, but they all failed against him. This was until a lone young boy appeared and brought an end to Vaati's reign. When asked how a boy as small as this could defeat such a horrible creature, the people turned to the rescued maidens for an answer. The maidens responded that the boy's cursed sword had allowed him to split into four copies of himself. Using their combined power, the four fought as one and sealed Vaati within the blade. Although the people did not believe the girls, they became intrigued by the story of this so called "Four Sword". While the boy had disappeared into the depths of Hyrule, the blade became legendary among people. Eventually a large sanctuary was built around the Four Sword to protect the blade and keep the evil sealed within it. At the outset of the game, Princess Zelda senses a disturbance in the Four Sword, and subsequently invites Link to come with her to investigate. As the two enter the room, Zelda tells Link not to touch the blade, as he might "shatter to pieces" from touching the legendary blade. Just as Zelda goes to check the seal, the Four Sword leans out of its pedestal and the room goes dark. Vaati is then unleashed from the seal, and promptly absconds with the Princess. Boasting about his return to power, he snatches Zelda, forcing her to his palace and knocks Link out cold before leaving. As Link comes back to consciousness, he is awakened by three Fairies, one blue, one red, and one green, perhaps representing the three Golden Goddesses. They instruct Link to draw out the Four Sword, and after doing so, Link is split into four copies of himself. These clones are all indistinguishable from each other apart from different colored clothing and slight differentiations in the deepness of their voices. The different Links are colored green, red, blue and purple respectively. The fairies instruct the four Links to seek out the Great Fairies so that they can gain access to Vaati's Palace and save Zelda. After a short while of adventuring across Hyrule, the four meet the Great Fairies and are granted access to Vaati's Palace. Inside, Vaati and the Four Heroes confront each other, and a large battle ensues. During the elongated battle, Vaati becomes weakened enough that he can be sealed back into the Four Sword yet again. Zelda is then released from Vaati's grasp, and the four clones of Link finally become one again after the blade is put back into the pedestal at the Four Sword Sanctuary. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past The Four Sword is an unlockable Key Item in the Game Boy Advance port of A Link to the Past in the Palace of the Four Sword. Each fragment of the Four Sword is guarded by enhanced versions of the Helmasaur King, Arrghus, Mothula and Blind. After Link defeats these creatures and retrieves all four shards, he reforms the Four Sword, and enters the final area. However, the Four Sword splits into four, and thus four Dark Links, each representing a shard of the Four Sword, attack Link. Link is able to defeat them after a grueling battle, and reforms the Four Sword. While it bears no significant meaning to the storyline, clearing the Palace of the Four Sword allows special unlockables in the add-on game, Four Swords. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures After an unknown time had passed since the events of Four Swords, Zelda and the Maidens again become worried about the seal holding Vaati. A seemingly different iteration of Link is asked to come to Hyrule Castle to protect the Maidens as they open a portal to the Four Sword Sanctuary. As the portal opens, however, an evil doppelgänger of Link known as Shadow Link appears and captures the Seven Maidens in magical crystals. Link quickly follows him through to portal to the Sanctuary. Luring Link up to the Pedestal holding the Four Sword, and unarmed to fight against Shadow Link, the real Link decides to pull the Four Sword out and use it on the shadowy figure. However, this was all a set up. With the blade drawn, the Wind Mage, Vaati, escapes his seal, and before the newly-cloned Links have any time to react, they are pulled into one of Vaati's whirlwinds and blown across Hyrule. The four are awakened by Kaepora Gaebora at Lake Hylia. The wise old owl tells them that the Four Sword has lost its ability to vanquish evil, but with the help of enough Force Gems he can return it to full strength. Every time one of the Links collects over two thousand force gems, the Four Sword powers up, turning it back into the Ultimate Four Sword. The four then set out on another adventure to save the maidens and defeat Vaati. As the adventure progresses, Link learns that the creation of his evil counterpart and the release of Vaati is only a small part in an insidious plot to take control of Hyrule. After freeing most of the Seven Maidens, it's revealed later in the game that the true villain is none other than Ganon, King of Darkness, who stole the Dark Mirror and used it to create Shadow Link, sending him to kidnap the shrine maidens and trick Link into releasing Vaati. With the knowledge of this, Link is able to free Zelda and recapture the Mirror, thus allowing Shadow Link to permanently be destroyed. Finally, Link enters the Palace of Winds to confront Vaati for one last showdown. Link is triumphant in defeating Vaati and escapes the now collapsing Palace of Winds with Zelda. However, infuriated by the failure of his plans, Ganon appears and enters battle with Link and Zelda. In the titanic struggle that followed, Ganon was brought down thanks to the teamwork between Link, his clones, and Zelda. Ganon is then sealed in the Four Sword by help of the maidens, and to prevent anyone from further tampering with the blade, a magical barrier is cast over it for protection. Link then turns back to normal as he returns the blade, and Hyrule celebrates the return to peace. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap ]] Initially, the Four Sword was known simply as the Picori Blade, due to being gifted by the Minish to the Hero of Men. The blade was encrusted with green crystals, one each on the middle and end of the hilt, while the hilt itself was purple and very similar in design to that of the Master Sword. However, unlike the Master Sword, the Picori Blade was gifted to the Hero of Men by the Minish in their time of need; according to legend, leagues of evil threatened the existence of Hyrule during the War of the Bound Chest. When all hope seemed lost, the Minish race, called Picori by Hylians, descended from the sky, bringing with them the Picori Blade, which they gifted to the Hero; the Picori had also brought the "golden light" known as the Light Force. Using the combination of the two, the Hero sealed the legions of monsters inside the Bound Chest, kept locked by the Picori Blade itself. In remembrance of the event, a large fair and sword-fighting tournament is held each year by the Hylians to honor the Picori. At the beginning of The Minish Cap, Princess Zelda and Link decide to attend the Picori Festival that is being held in Hyrule Town. Link's grandfather, Smith, blacksmith to the Royal Family of Hyrule, asks of Link to deliver a sword he forged to the Royal Family after finishing their time at the festival. After a short visit to the Picori Festival, the duo arrives at Hyrule Castle, just in time to witness to the winner of the tournament, Vaati, receive the honor of touching the Picori Blade. However, Vaati attacks the guards flanking the Bound Chest and forces his way to the chest, shattering the sacred blade, breaking it in two. As he does so, the Bound Chest opens, releasing the monsters into Hyrule once again; when Princess Zelda defends her father, King Daltus, from the monsters, Vaati turns Zelda to stone with a curse, believing her to possibly cause more trouble in the future, and Link is knocked out in the process. Hoping to find the sacred Light Force inside, Vaati peers into the open chest and finds nothing. Disappointed, Vaati then flees the area after reinstating to himself that the power he seeks is out there somewhere, and he will eventually find the source for it. After waking, King Daltus asks Link to repair the now-broken Picori Sword, and use its power to break the curse placed upon Zelda. Link travels to the Minish Woods as requested by the King to search for the Picori; however, he instead meets Ezlo, a Minish sage cursed by Vaati. After explaining that the Picori refer to themselves as the Minish, and that he is searching for Vaati as well, Ezlo reveals that he can shrink Link down to their size to allow him to talk to the Picori, in order to help bring the Picori Blade to its' former glory. Ezlo then leads Link to the Minish Village, where they meet Festari, who marks the location of the four sacred Elements on Link's map. Link and Ezlo proceed to explore the Deepwood Shrine and Cave of Flames, finding the Earth and Fire Elements, respectively, and Melari of Mount Crenel reforges the blade into the White Sword. However, in order to break the curse on the Princess, the sword must be fully forged with all four elements. The two then proceed to the Elemental Sanctuary, where the White Sword is infused with the power of the Earth and Fire Elements. With the Earth and Fire Elements, Link can make one copy of himself; however, with all four, he can make three copies, totaling four Links. They then set off to the Fortress of Winds to find the Wind Element. Upon defeating Mazaal, the Wind Element's supposed guardian, they find that the Wind Tribe has left Hyrule, taking the Wind Element with them. Deciding to attempt to find the Wind Element later, Link and Ezlo then go to the Temple of Droplets, where they receive the Water Element, and fuse it into the blade. After this point, the two venture to the Palace of Winds and finally recover the Wind Element. After fusing it into the White Sword and creating the Four Sword, however, they gain access to a secret chamber in the Elemental Sanctuary, revealing the true location of the Light Force-- inside of Princess Zelda. Vaati, disguised as King Daltus, confronts Link and Ezlo, congratulating them on leading him so far as to reveal the true location of the Light Force. Revealing himself to be Vaati, he promptly knocks Link unconscious before taking over Hyrule Castle, and transforming it into an evil, twisted counterpart of it's former state. Link traverses the Castle and reaches Vaati, who is in the middle of already seeping out the Light Force from Zelda. Vaati, already in possession of a small bit of the Light Force, challenges Link to a battle, believing he can destroy Link and continue with his struggle for eternal power. After using the power of the Four Sword in the elongated battle with Vaati, the sorcerer is then absorbed into the Four Sword, putting an end to Vaati's terrorism. Link breaks Zelda's curse; Zelda, now awakened, then uses the Magic Cap to return Hyrule to normal, and Ezlo returns to the Minish World. Non-canonical appearances ''Four Swords Adventures'' manga The Four Sword does not only split its wielder into four, but divides the wielder's personality aspects into the four beings with one of them possessing a persona similar to that of their original state. The Green Link (referred to as Green) is the "original" Link and is very stubborn when it comes to working with others, but throughout the story learns to work well with his new comrades. Green seems to take charge of the leadership role when the four first meet, and finds it difficult when the other three won't listen. But, he eventually realizes that instead of bossing the others around, they need to work side by side. The Red Link (referred to as Red) is extremely childish and optimistic, but is prone to cry when plans don't succeed or his feelings are hurt, most of the time by Blue. Red also attaches to the other Links very quickly, as if he were the younger of the four of them and shows his fear of being separated from them when the become isolated from each other. The Blue Link (referred to as Blue) is extremely foul-tempered, hot-headed, and very arrogant and usually only focuses on taking out any competition with physical force. He butts heads with Green from time to time, the first being about who is the "real" Link. Blue tends to hurt Red's feelings on multiple occasions, but shows some remorse for it later on. The Purple Link (referred to as Vio, as in "violet") is calm, collected, and most of the time tends to be the voice of reason in the group. He shows concern and care for his teammates early on by comforting Red after Blue hurts his feelings. He sometimes feels that his comrades are somewhat immature, which is probably the reason to why Shadow Link manipulated Vio into assisting him in his plans. Because of the four Links' conflicting personalities, they have a very hard time working together (Green and Blue especially) until their experiences make them realize what they have to do. Although not one of the main four Links, Shadow Link is still noteworthy being a version of Link himself. Shadow Link is one of the main antagonists of the story and is heartless and cruel to everyone. He originated from a portal in a mirror leading from the Dark World. Throughout the story, Shadow Link targeted each Link, but found Vio to be the most easily manipulated. However his plan backfired when he discovered that Vio was only pretending to be evil to gain entrance to the tower and shatter the mirror from which Shadow Link originated. Even though he is heartless for most of the story, the other Links and even Princess Zelda help him realize that even though he's evil, he's still a Link himself, meaning he has a kind heart. Slowly perishing, Shadow Link realizes that he was wrong and before he thanks the other Links and vaporizes. Gallery File:Four Sword Sanctuary.png|The Four Sword in the Four Sword Sanctuary from Four Swords es:Espada Cuádruple Category:Swords Category:The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords items Category:The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures items Category:The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap items